Cooper Kupp: Is His Injury Worse Than We Thought?
Los Angeles Rams' star wide receiver Cooper Kupp is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and the injury could be worse than originally anticipated. Here's what's going on and what you should do with him.
Cooper Kupp Injury Update
Rams' head coach Sean McVay acknowledged this week what many have been speculating about. He admitted that there is a chance that Kupp could be dealing with a nerve issue along with just a simple hamstring strain. This is rare with a hamstring injury but not unheard of. People who were following this story started to suspect this injury may have been worse than originally anticipated once he traveled to Minnesota to be seen by a renowned body specialist. That is not a normal protocol for a hamstring strain.
Should nerve damage be the case, it will heal significantly slower and could land Kupp on injured reserve. There is a chance this lingers for the entire year preventing him from being the WR1 you thought you were getting when you drafted him. Although it's unlikely, there is even a chance the injury could be season-ending, especially if he re-aggravates it again. This is a situation you must monitor closely and you may need to act before this information becomes more common knowledge.
What Should Fantasy Owners Do with Kupp?
What we need to do now is figure out what to do with Kupp. Do you sell him? Buy low? Stay put? Our advice is to sell him now while his value is still high. There is a good chance his value will never be higher and it will continue to drop by the day as more and more news leaks out. His name value will still garner a ton of interest if you put him on the trade block. Recently I've seen Kupp traded for Joe Mixon and Calvin and Ridley. If you can get a deal like that you take it and run. There is a good chance you can make the most of your investment in Kupp and turn him into a fringe RB1/RB2 and a high-upside WR2. You need to limit your risk and get out while you still can.
Emotionally moving him is a tough call, but logically it makes all the sense in the world. We are dealing with a 30-year-old receiver coming off a major season-ending injury who is now dealing with a potentially catastrophic hamstring injury. If he does bounce back, you still get back a solid return and you cut your losses. He's just too risky at this point. Keeping him could sink your entire season while at worst trading him for a package still gives you strong replacement options. Just to be clear, we aren't telling you to just give him away for pennies on the dollar. Be proactive and shop him around your league for the best offer. Someone will bite.
What to do if you keep Kupp?
If you've decided to keep Kupp either because you didn't get a strong offer or just don't want to trade him, you're going to have to find a long-term replacement option just in case. He may only miss a week or two, but you should operate under the assumption he's going to miss at least six weeks. Here are some guys you can target on the waiver wire who have the upside to be a legitimate WR3 with upside to plug into your lineup.
Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers
It's looking like Mingo could enter the season as the Panthers clear WR1. DJ Chark and Adam Theilen are both sidelined as of Thursday with injuries, and both are in danger of not playing Week 1. If the rookie has a breakout game, he could take that job and never give it back. There is no other wideout on the team who is particularly good. Chark hasn't done much in years and is always hurt. Theilen looked like a re-animated corpse last season hanging on to a paycheck, and Terrace Marshall has failed to establish himself in the league. Mingo is a second-round pick who has a legitimate shot to be the best rookie fantasy wideout this season.
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Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
Mims is another Day 2 rookie who could have a big opportunity in front of him. He has shined in camp this summer but was expected to be buried on the depth chart. Expectations have changed after Tim Patrick tore his ACL and Jerry Jeudy injured his hamstring. Mims is looking to have a huge role in the passing attack in Week 1 and possibly beyond. Much like Mingo, Mims could take this job and never look back. Courtland Sutton hasn't been himself since tearing his ACL and Jerry Jeudy hasn't lived up to the hype he had as a first-round prospect.
